LAGUNA SECA — It’s 10 a.m. Friday morning and I’m gathering up my laptop and other journalistic tools ready to make my descent into the center of the Laguna Seca Recreation Area.

The fog is beginning to burn off and voices boom over the public address system chatting about the MotoGP riders — the premier motorcycle racing series — who are getting ready to make their first runs at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

As I amble down to the Media Center, it sets in — I’m not in Monterey County any more.

Although I woke up in Salinas and made the 20-minute drive west on Highway 68, somehow I ended up in another part of the world.

For the three days that Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix takes over the county, the 500-acre park situated between Salinas and Monterey transforms itself into a global meeting ground, bringing together motorcycle riders, their fans and media that cover it all — both national and international.

There are little slices of culture everywhere you turn. Walking through the paddocks and the Yamaha Marketplace — home to vendors, manufacturer exhibits and food booths — after the first MotoGP training session on Friday morning, I encounter languages and flags from Great Britain, Australia and Italy.

In the paddock, I come across a British man sporting a racing jacket freshly-signed by Italian rider and seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi. The man excitedly shares the newest addition to his ensemble with his fans. Minutes earlier, an Asian fan runs from garage to garage trying to collect as many autographs as he can on his small event program.

The fans make the pilgrimage to follow their sport, and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has become a desired international destination. With its Mediterranean climate, surrounding mountains and 15-minute drive to the sea — the renowned circuit track fits right in to the rest of the MotoGP schedule.

Six continents — only Antarctica is missing — will be represented by the 140,000 fans that are estimated to be attending the event this weekend — basically another city roughly the size of Salinas, the biggest city in Monterey County.

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The Laguna Seca Recreation Area is no stranger to hosting huge international events, but this race dwarfs them all in terms of turnout. In September 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass here with 72,000 people. The California Rodeo Salinas pulled in about 46,000 over four days this year.

The MotoGP riders add to the Olympic-like atmosphere. The 22 MotoGP riders in the field this weekend represent nine different countries.

MotoGP has made a stop at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca every year since 2005, following an absence of 10 years.

Rossi, who won here in 2008, has enjoyed coming to the 2.2-mile circuit track and performing in front of enthusiastic and diverse crowds.

“The crowd is always good and the passion is quite high,” Rossi said.

American rider Ben Spies added it’s enjoyable to come back to the states and share this sport.

“It looks like we’ll have great weather and hopefully we can all put on a good show for fans and have a good race,” Spies said.

Music to fans' ears

The distinctive sound of a motorcycle engine running at 165 mph is music to the ears of the assembled masses.

While it may not be to me, I can make a connection to this event and music festivals I have attended. As a fan of live music, I’ve made journeys to Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival to watch my favorite bands and discover new acts.

At the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, people flock to watch these seriously skilled riders tackle a technically-challenging course — hoping to experience that remarkable pass where they are staked out or watch their favorite rider taste sweet victory.

Fans also fight their way through the paddocks for a chance at an autograph, a picture or just a chance to meet their heroes face-to-face. I’ve done the same after several concerts.

Examining this MotoGP event and musical festivals a little closer, I found that there are more people that take over Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca per acre compared to the two music festivals I mentioned earlier.

There are 280 people per acre at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, 114 at the farm in Tennessee and 229 at the polo grounds in the Coachella Valley.

That kind of crowd size and the performances of these riders on the track truly are staggering.

As I put the finishing touches on this column in the Media Center, there are more examples of what makes this event so diverse.

Sitting next to me are reporters and photographers from Italy, Spain, Japan and France — just to name a few — cranking out stories and editing photos to meet their evening deadlines.

Peeking over my laptop, I take a moment to soak in this rich experience I only encounter this one time each year.